FINA is pleased to release the FINA Scholarship report, highlighting actions and activities undertaken between the years 2014-2016.
The FINA Scholarship Programme, introduced in June 2013, offers the opportunity to obtain financial and technical assistance for one potential elite athlete selected and proposed by their respective National Federation.
The scholarship supported and will continue assisting athletes preparing for the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan (RUS), the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro (BRA) and the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest (HUN), with a particular focus on athletes and National Federations with the greatest needs.
Over the years and right from its launch, the aim of the programme was to identify, qualify and prepare a limited number of athletes aspiring to achieve the requested times to participate in major international competitions and the Olympic Games.
FINA provides assistance to the scholarship holders by supporting their NFs or by offering the athletes the opportunity to train in a high-level training centre.
Preparing athletes for international competitions is crucial to the National Federations’ development and the future of the national teams.
Each National Federation receives the application form where they can select one of the possible training options (Training Centre or National Federation option) and present the credentials of the athlete (e.g. best results, age, training plan that has been followed, feedbacks from the coach and motivation letter written by the athlete).
Thanyapura training Centre in Thailand
An athlete can benefit from the Scholarship programme for a maximum 12 months for each application.
54 athletes from 38 countries have been selected by their NF to be FINA Scholarship holders since 2013, 33 of which have qualified for either the FINA World Championships or the Olympic Games or both.
Full report and Individual stories are available here